Department Head of the Year

Debbie Bachmann, Department Head of the Year

Our Head of Technological and Applied Studies (TAS), Debbie Bachmann, was honoured by the organisers of the Australian Education Awards 2021, as a finalist and Excellence Awardee in the category of Department Head of the Year.

Debbie Bachmann has been Head of the Santa Sabina College TAS Department since 2001. She is our longestserving Head of Department and TAS is our most successful department for consistently high academic results.

The students of Information Processes & Technology, Design & Technology, Food Technology and Textiles & Design receive consistently high HSC results year after year. Exceptional results achieved in 2021 include 92% of HSC Design & Technology students receiving marks in the top two bands. Every year a number of students are nominated and some selected for the NSW Government HSC Showcases SHAPE and Texstyle. Ms Bachmann’s ex-students have used their TAS skills in careers as fashion designers, architects, IT and engineering experts and TV cooking show presenters.

At Santa Sabina we see ourselves as leaders in STEM education and the TAS department leads STEM within the College. In our TAS subjects the students apply scientific concepts and applications, they use technology, they employ mathematics and numeracy concepts.

STEM is embedded in the curriculum as well as in co-curricular activities. Year 7 students in 2021 used industry based software such as Autocad and Adobe Illustrator. Santa Sabina provides cutting edge equipment for students including a laser cutter, robots, 3D printer as well as the latest designing apps. Ms Bachmann identifies individual students who are passionate about STEM, providing them with opportunities to compete in specialised state and national competitions, often as winners.

Santa Sabina was also named Excellence Awardee in the 2021 Australian Education Awards in these categories: • Best Co-curricular Program • Best Remote Learning Program • Best STEM Program.